The Art of Thinking Clearly
by Rolf Dobelli
★ Top 25 book of 2011 · #17 on Best Books of 2011
Dobelli explains the cognitive biases that quietly distort our judgment, such as sticking with something not worth the effort. Across 99 short chapters, he shows how to recognize these errors and make better decisions at work and at home.
Best for: Readers wanting short, practical lessons on avoiding thinking errors in daily decisions
The Art of Thinking Clearly is #17 on BookWard's Best Books of 2011, out of 53 2011 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Art of Thinking Clearly is about
Most of us like to think we reason well, yet we routinely fall into the same mental traps. Rolf Dobelli sets out 99 of the most common ones, from cognitive biases to envy and the pull of social pressure. Each short chapter names an error and shows how it plays out in daily life, such as sinking more time into something that isn't worth it, or carrying on with a habit you already know is bad for you.
The entries began as weekly newspaper columns in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, and the brevity shows. They are easy to read in small doses and easy to remember. The idea running through them is simple: once you can recognise a bias, you have a better chance of catching it before it shapes a decision. A useful companion for anyone who wants to choose more carefully, at work or at home.
The Art of Thinking Clearly on the Best Books of 2011
The Art of Thinking Clearly came out in 2011. Of the 53 books first published in 2011 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #17 on our Best Books of 2011 list.
Why it made the list: 972 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (26 ratings); 43 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2011 list
- Gone Girl Gillian Flynn, #15
- The One and Only Ivan Katherine Applegate, #16
- The Wise Man’s Fear Patrick Rothfuss, #18
- Dotcom Secrets Russell Brunson, #19
See all Best Books of 2011 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2010 Best Books of 2012.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 900 want to read it, 43 are reading it now and 29 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4 out of 5 from 26 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 75 | 55% |
| Reader love | 42 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 68 | 20% |
Questions about The Art of Thinking Clearly
When was The Art of Thinking Clearly published?
The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli was first published in 2011.
Was The Art of Thinking Clearly one of the best books of 2011?
The Art of Thinking Clearly is #17 on BookWard's Best Books of 2011, out of 53 2011 books that cleared our data bar. 972 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (26 ratings); 43 are reading it right now.
Why is The Art of Thinking Clearly on the Best Books of 2011 list?
972 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (26 ratings); 43 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2011
- Sapiens Yuval Noah Harari, #1
- The Song of Achilles Madeline Miller, #2
- Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman, #3
- Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson, #4
- The Son of Neptune Rick Riordan, #5
- The Mark of Athena Rick Riordan, #6
See the full Best Books of 2011, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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